Summer

This delightful board book, written without text, was created by the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program to preserve the Tiwa culture and revitalize the Tiwa language by teaching it to younger generations. Many other Indigenous languages also need revitalizing, so it is the hope of the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program that other American Indian Nations will find the books in the Toas Pueblo Four Seasons series useful to teach their language to young children. The beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations will also teach young children about the four seasons of the year. All proceeds of the book support the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program.

This text-free board book allows Indigenous nations to teach their own languages to children.

Educator & Series Information
This wordless book is part of the Taos Pueblo Four Seasons series.

We are the "Red Willow People" of Taos Pueblo and have sustained our ancient village as one of the longest continuously inhabited communities, for over 1,000 years. Taos Pueblo is located in northern New Mexico and our Tiwa language is a dialect of the Tanoan language, which is not a written language. Traditionally we learn our Tiwa Language through oral tradition but we are in danger of losing our ancient language due to colonization, modernization, and the shift from Tiwa as our first language to English as our first language. The efforts of the Taos Pueblo Tiwa Language Program are focused on revitalizing the Tiwa Language and culture by protecting and preserving it, through teaching it to our younger generations.

This text-free board book allows Indigenous nations to teach their own languages to children.

Additional Information
22 pages | 8" x 8" | Board Book 

This charming and humorous book celebrates Pomo traditions and explores creative frustration, perfectionism, and the value in embracing your mistakes. 

I want to dance!

Bizzy can't wait to dance with all her friends and family at the summer gathering this year! But first, she must make the perfect regalia. It's tricky work, even with a grown-up's help, and her high expectations come crashing down in a flurry of torn fabric, loose beads, and tears. With support from her mom, grandma, and little brother, can Bizzy learn to see past the flaws, finish her work, and remember what's really important?

AR Cribbins celebrates Pomo traditions in this charming and humorous tale about creativity and perfectionism. 

Reviews
“The illustrations are bright and energetic and mirror Bizzy’s emotional undulations.”—Booklist

“The many emotions of all the characters are wonderfully encapsulated in the imagery through collage and comic book–style cartoons…. This book teaches in a safe, digestible story that accidents happen, emotions will rise, but having support can help repair the situation smoother than attempting to fix it with those immediate big feelings.”—School & Library Journal

“A vibrantly illustrated life lesson.”—Kirkus

Educator Information 
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.80" x 11.40" | Hardcover 

It flows in your blood and echoes in your soul...Listen, my baby, to the sweet song of your home.

As daylight fades to dusk and slips into darkness, this gentle lullaby celebrates the sounds of the Prairies and the Plains on a stormy summer's night.

From the hum of dragonflies to the drumming of thunder, with grasses swirling and the northern lights glimmering, This Land Is a Lullaby shares a song and dance—a gift from the ancestors that soothes children to sleep and reminds them of their deeply rooted connections to the land.

Written as a lullaby for the author's daughter and featuring striking pointillism artwork, this lush lullaby of the land honors the beauty of the Prairies and the Plains and the spiritual connection between Indigenous children, ancestors and their Traditional Territories.

This bilingual book includes full text in both English and Plains Cree.

Reviews
“The book’s lexical simplicity and visual dynamism will engage even the youngest readers, providing a beautiful glimpse into the unbreakable bond between Indigenous people, their lands, and their ancestors who are still a part of them. Like a stirring song, this tale will move readers with its tranquil, reverent tone.”- Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Dual Language Format: English and Plains Cree.

Reading Levels
Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: M
Lexile measure: AD570L
Guided Reading Level: M

This book is available in English: This Land Is a Lullaby

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover

It flows in your blood and echoes in your soul...Listen, my baby, to the sweet song of your home.

As daylight fades to dusk and slips into darkness, this gentle lullaby celebrates the sounds of the Prairies and the Plains on a stormy summer's night.

From the hum of dragonflies to the drumming of thunder, with grasses swirling and the northern lights glimmering, This Land Is a Lullaby shares a song and dance—a gift from the ancestors that soothes children to sleep and reminds them of their deeply rooted connections to the land.

Written as a lullaby for the author's daughter and featuring striking pointillism artwork, this lush lullaby of the land honors the beauty of the Prairies and the Plains and the spiritual connection between Indigenous children, ancestors and their Traditional Territories.

Reviews
“The book’s lexical simplicity and visual dynamism will engage even the youngest readers, providing a beautiful glimpse into the unbreakable bond between Indigenous people, their lands, and their ancestors who are still a part of them. Like a stirring song, this tale will move readers with its tranquil, reverent tone.”- Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Reading Levels
Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: M
Lexile measure: AD570L
Guided Reading Level: M

This book is available in a dual-language format (English and Plains Cree): This Land Is a Lullaby / cistomâwasowin ôma askiy 

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover

This companion to Twelve Days of Winter is another book to read or sing along with children. In this reimagined version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” wildlife is observed during summer. The animals enjoy warmer weather, blooming flowers, and sunny days. Summer is also a busy time for animal parents who are wrangling their little ones. “On the first day of summer we looked around to see a black bear in an oak tree.”

Can you find a curious chipmunk watching other animals enjoying the summer?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

This book is part of the Twelve Days Series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.30" x 10.30" | Hardcover 

An Indigenous boy invites new friends to share in beloved traditions as he celebrates the joy of summer and his love for Earth and Creator in this picture book that revels in the warmth, light, and fun of the longest days of the year.

Bo, a proud Potawatomi boy, is excited to enjoy long summer days tending his garden, walking his dog, and playing in the river with his big sister, Dani. When he discovers that his family's favorite spot has been polluted with garbage, Bo realizes that caring for Earth is part of what makes summer special. And when he overcomes his shyness and invites others to join in, he discovers that summer's magic has even more surprises in store.

“Bo is short for saying Bodewadmi ndaw, which is ‘I am Potawatomi’ in our language. Bo is a celebration of Anishinaabe culture, from the way he wears his hair in a traditional braid to the way he shares the magic of summer and honors Earth by caring for her as she cares for us.”—Kaitlin B. Curtice

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

This book is part of the An Indigenous Celebration of Nature series.

Additional Information
40 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

A young girl spends the summer at her grandmother’s home on the Standing Rock Reservation in this heartwarming family story from acclaimed author-artist S. D. Nelson

Now that Clara is almost in third grade, she’s finally old enough to spend her first summer away from home visiting her grandma, Unci, and her cousin at their home in Standing Rock Reservation. To welcome her visit, Uncle Louie brings an extra-special surprise in his pickup truck: the tipi that’s been passed down through their family for generations. The girls learn how to stack the poles and wrap the canvas covering around them, how to paint spirit pictures on its walls, and how the circle of the tipi tells its own story, reminding us to how to live in the great Circle of Life. Over long days spent playing outside, doing beadwork together, telling stories, singing songs, and sleeping under the stars, the tipi brings the family closer together. As summer draws to an end, goodbye comes all too soon, but Clara will always cling to the memories of summer days and starry nights . . . and Grandma’s tipi.

Reviews
"Nelson (Standing Rock Sioux) depicts his people’s customs with reverence…When Clara’s time on the Standing Rock Reservation comes to an end, the rich lessons of her heritage stay with her—just as they will with young readers, who will be drawn in by both Nelson’s moving narration and glowing images."— Kirkus

“Nelson’s vibrant illustrations are stylized to reflect Lakota ledger drawings. He effortlessly blends this art style into his realistic, authentic depictions of modern Lakota life."— The Horn Book Magazine

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover

A lullaby of reconciliation and reclamation, celebrating the ancestral relationship between Indigenous children and the land that is forever their home.

Under glowing morning sun and silvery winter moon, from speckled frogs croaking in spring to summer fields painted with fireweed, this meditative lullaby introduces little ones to the plants and animals of the Prairies and the Plains. Featuring stunning artwork by celebrated artist Carla Joseph, Forever Our Home is a beautiful and gentle song about our spiritual connection to the land.

Reviews
A tender hymn to the prairie in all seasons...Uplifting and joyous." — Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Written in both Plains Cree and English and featuring stunning artwork by celebrated artist Carla Joseph, Forever Our Home / kâkikê kîkinaw is a beautiful and gentle song about our spiritual connection to the land.

Find the English version here: Forever Our Home

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

A lullaby of reconciliation and reclamation, celebrating the ancestral relationship between Indigenous children and the land that is forever their home.

Under glowing morning sun and silvery winter moon, from speckled frogs croaking in spring to summer fields painted with fireweed, this meditative lullaby introduces little ones to the plants and animals of the Prairies and the Plains. Featuring stunning artwork by celebrated artist Carla Joseph, Forever Our Home is a beautiful and gentle song about our spiritual connection to the land.

Reviews
A tender hymn to the prairie in all seasons...Uplifting and joyous." — Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is available in a the dual-language format (English and Plains Cree): Forever Our Home / kâkikê kîkinaw

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

This story is about a beaver home.

Beavers make homes out of sticks, rocks, and mud.

There are four seasons in the year: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Which season is this story about?

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for grade 1 students, but may also be useful in kindergarten classrooms.

Strong Science - Animals is a language-based science series for primary students featuring animals that all Canadian students will recognize. Photographs and Indigenous artwork illustrate the series. Common learning objectives in science curricula across Canada are addressed, and suggestions for extending the learning to other curriculum areas, including Indigenous cultural awareness, language arts, math, and art, are included in the teacher’s guide. The sixteen books in this series are grouped into four levels that increase in complexity, designed to accommodate students with various reading abilities within a classroom. This feature facilitates the use of this series in literacy programs along with the Strong Readers series.

A Home for the Beavers is an EP3 (Early Primary 3) book in the Strong Science - Animals series. Font size decreases as language complexity and word count increase across levels: EP1 books have approximately 40 words, EP2 books have approximately 60 words, EP3 books have approximately 80 words, and EP4 books have approximately 100 words.

A teacher's guide for Strong Science - Animals is available: Strong Science - Animals: Teacher's Guide

Authenticity Note: This book has received the Indigenous Text label because the author is Indigenous (Lakota) and the featured animal holds cultural significance in many Indigenous cultures. The engaging story provides factual information in an easy-to-read format for children to learn science concepts and build literacy skills. It promotes respect for animals and Mother Earth, and its illustrations communicate additional cultural information through Lakota symbolism and designs. Further cultural connections are identified in the teacher's guide. Refer to the guide to explore the book's Indigenous connections fully. It is up to readers to determine if the book will work as a stand-alone authentic Indigenous text for their purposes.  

Additional Information
16 Pages | 6.5" x 5.5" | Paperback | ISBN: 9781771746120

This bundle includes all four titles in the By Day and By Night Nature Series:

• Hideaway Cove (hardcover)
• A Night at Hideaway Cove (paperback) 
• Fernwood Forest (hardcover)
• A Night in Fernwood Forest (hardcover)

Each book in the By Day and By Night Nature Series focuses on a scene typical of a distinct west coast habitat, showing how living and non-living things are connected in a healthy ecosystem. As readers, we observe animals going about their daily activities: caring for their young, searching for food, and responding to the changes in light, temperature, and weather conditions throughout the day or night. The last four pages of each book provide facts about the highlighted animals and plants as well as features that are unique to their habitats. The final page suggests ways that young readers and their families can be respectful as they visit wilderness areas.

Readers with a sense of curiosity will find opportunities in these books to:

• use picture clues to predict the featured animal on the next page
• identify, count, and sequence numbers (1 owl, 2 deer, 3 squirrels, etc.)
• search for small creatures that travel from page to page
• discover patterns in the text and structure of the books
• track the movement of the sun, or moon, across the sky

Reading Level: Nonfiction text features such as headings, bold words, bullets, captions, and labelled diagrams make these books accessible to independent readers in grades 2 to 4. The books would also be great “read-alouds” for younger children.

Curriculum Links
Reading - Providing opportunities for guided practise in using reading strategies: visualizing, making connections, asking questions, transforming, and inferring.

Science - Supporting discussion and further exploration:

• characteristics of living things
• needs of living things
• connections between living and non-living things
• daily and seasonal changes
• animal growth and changes
• plant growth and changes
• weather
• habitats
• observable patterns in the sky

Numeracy - Counting and sequencing of numbers 1 to 10.

Social Responsibility - Initiating discussions about ways to take care of wilderness areas.

Lesson plans are available for each book and are free to download from each book's listing on our website!

Additional Information
Titles included are 32 pages, 8.5" x 11"

​Please note: All books in this bundle are hardcovers, except for A Night at Hideaway Cove, which is a paperback as the hardcover edition is out of print. ​

Two sisters have waited all spring and summer to pick berries with their ningiuq, their grandmother. They've gone fishing, dug for clams, and by the time late summer arrives, it's finally time for berries!

Ninguiq and the girls head out to pick berries, rain or shine—nothing will stop Ningiuq! Through driving rain and early autumn snow the girls and Ningiuq pick as many sweet berries as their buckets can hold. The hard work is all worth it to enjoy the delicious treats Ninguiq creates with her berries.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
28 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

A debut picture book that celebrates self-love, care, and resilience with one of the most widespread plants—the dandelion.

Both a love letter to the dandelion and a call to love ourselves in a difficult world, Âmî Osâwâpikones reminds us that we are not defined as others see us. Following our young protagonist and the dandelions through the seasons, we are reminded that we are resilient, we are healers, we are funny, and we are loved.

Reviews
“A playful, lyrical, and persuasive love letter to a dandelion ... This tribute to a precious flowering plant will capture readers’ hearts.” —Kirkus Reviews

“SJ combines her gifts as both author and illustrator in this beautiful and endearing book that both children and adults will adore.” —Monique Gray-Smith

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

Includes some Cree words (y-dialect - Plains Cree).  Plains Cree translations and a pronunciation guide can be found at the back of the book.

Includes an Author's Note that describes the inspiration for this story.

Themes: self-love, resilience, care, and lightheartedness conveyed through the dandelion. 

This book is available in French: Âmî Osâwâpikones / Cher pissenlit 

Additional Information
40 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover

Shawna Davis invites the reader to explore each of the four seasons through her beautiful words and lush, unforgettable, beaded illustrations.

We begin in Gwooyim (Spring) when the Majagalee, the Sim Algyax word for “flower,” are just beginning to sprout. We then move on to Sint (Summer) when Grandmother Sun stays in the sky a bit longer. Next there is Xwsit (Fall), just as Summer begins to get sleepy, and Maadim (Winter) where the snow has fallen and the freezer is full.

This is a story of nature, its importance to our lives, and why it must be cared for and respected.

Toonasa Jordana Luggi’s lovely, rich, and nearly tactile photographs are the perfect complement to Shawna’s hand-beaded artwork and wonderful, hand-cut paper backgrounds.

Includes Pronunciation Guides.

Reviews
“...simple, evocative poetry is culturally specific, rooted in a deep love of the land and the people around her but it’s also relatable to readers of different backgrounds. The lyrical verse in Majagalee makes it an ideal read-aloud book.... Majagalee is an elevated concept book. It introduces readers to the seasons, the plants and animals of the Northwest Coast, Sim Algyax, Indigenous art, and the importance of all these things to Gitksan culture. Despite its apparent simplicity, Majagalee is a complex and brilliantly constructed book. It will appeal to Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike, and for teachers and parents, it serves as an outstanding example of a book that demonstrates the ongoing presence and beauty of Indigenous cultures in what is now known as Canada..” – Quill & Quire, starred review

Educator Information
Juvenile Fiction. This picture book explores the four seasons on the northwest coast of what is currently British Columbia from a Gitksan perspective.

Additional information
Pages: 40 

A girl lovingly tends to her garden through the seasons.

In the depths of winter, one young girl is already dreaming of planting her very own vegetable garden. In January, she sketches out the rows of lettuce, the trellis for the peas, and a large plot for the tomatoes while she waits for warmer weather. March is time for sowing, and April gives way to the first leaves of her seedlings.

As the seasons change from spring to summer, she (with the help of her moms) spreads compost and turns up the soil to finally plant her veggies into the earth. As the months go by, she lovingly weeds, waters, and cares for her garden until it’s time to harvest a bounty big enough to share with all their friends! My Delicious Garden celebrates the joy of growing food from seed and is a cozy exploration of the connections between nature, food, and community.

Reviews
"The unique monthly focus is an interesting and helpful take on gardening; readers will learn about different types of vegetables and flowers equally. Whether there is a garden at school or not, this is a charming addition to the shelves and could be adapted to a very early science lesson for preschoolers, too." — School Library Journal

"All children will be inspired to grow their own gardens, and those children who live in urban environments will understand and appreciate the work, time, and patience, not to mention the joy and sense of accomplishment, it takes to maintain a garden." — School Library Connection

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

Keywords and Themes: Gardening, Science, Nature, Cooking, Food, Outdoor Activities, Outdoor Learning

Additional Information
24 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Little Ocean likes to play outside. In this picture book, Ocean shows us how she has fun outside in all types of weather. Outside is where new discoveries are made and adventures happen!

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for preschool-aged children.

This book is part of the The Adventure Series of Learning With Ocean.

Additional Information
16 Pages 

From the popular series that launched with Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book comes a book with peek-through holes that show the moon's different phases with each turn of the page.

Over deserts and forests, Arctic tundra and tropical beaches, the moon shines down on creatures around the world. Children will love discovering how it changes from day to day as the lunar cycle is shown through clever peek-through holes, each revealing the moon in a different size and shape.

It's the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers—and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

Educator Information
For ages 3 and under.

Concepts: Seasons, Science, Nature, Astronomy.

Additional Information
26 pages | 6.13" x 7.56" | Board book

A peek-through board book with elaborate die-cuts on each page showing a tree and its many inhabitants throughout the four seasons.

Through a hole in the book's cover, an owl invites you inside to meet a majestic tree and all its forest inhabitants during the changing seasons. With clever die-cuts throughout, each sturdy page reveals a new set of animals playing and living in the tree--baby bears frolicking in the spring, bees buzzing around apples in the summer, squirrels storing nuts in the fall, and finally the lone owl keeping warm during the winter chill, until another year begins. . . .

Children will love seeing a new set of animals appear as each page is turned, and along the way they'll learn about the seasons and how a forest and its inhabitants change throughout the year.

Educator Information
For ages 3 and under.

Concepts: Seasons, Science, Nature, Animals.

Additional Information
26 pages | 6.13" x 7.50" | Board book

In this beautifully illustrated children’s book, readers will experience the world in a new way as they see the seasons through the joyful eyes of Nimkii, a fun, nature-loving dog who will teach them a whole new language: Ojibwemowin, a language spoken by the indigenous tribes in parts of Michigan, Ontario, northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Alberta.

Whether hunting for maple trees in the fall, playing in the snow in the winter, enjoying the spring showers, or swimming in the summer, Nimkii seeks out activities that allow her to enjoy her natural surroundings. Fun and inspiring, this bilingual book helps children and adults communicate in new ways while exploring different elements of culture.

Educator Information
Children's Literature

Dual-language: English and Ojibwemowin 

Translated by Margaret Noodin, of the Pine Marten Clan. 

Additional Information
38 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

Niibing, dgwaagig, bboong, mnookmig dbaadjigaade maanpii mzin'igning / A Book about the Seasons.

An Anishinaabe child and her grandmother explore the natural wonders of each season in this lyrical, bilingual story-poem.

In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings.

We accompany them through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.

Brittany Luby and Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley have created a book inspired by childhood memories of time spent with Knowledge Keepers, observing and living in relationship with the natural world in the place they call home — the northern reaches of Anishinaabewaking, around the Great Lakes.

Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere, father and son, are the Anishinaabe translators of this work.

Awards

• 2022 Indigenous Voices Award for a published work in an Indigenous language

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

How do you know the seasons? Do you know it's summer when blueberries fall readily and the sand is hot enough to sting? Do you know fall by the red-winged blackbird taking his leave? Take a minute and look around — nature is speaking to us. Changes are happening, and Mother Earth is letting us know at every step of the way. Whether it's the sun's bright morning light, or the white moon sitting high in the sky, there are many ways to know what time of the year it is. All we need to do is stop, look, and listen, because each season tells us a story!

This book is also available in French and Ojibwe: Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / La Terre me parle: Un livre sur les saisons 

Additional Information
44 pages | 8.75" x 8.50"

Under a blanket of stars, Warren has a dream about an unending winter, with animals teaming up to search for the lost bag of summer. Just as in the Anishinaabe and Ininew legend, Fisher, a brave hunter, is chosen to bring the bag of summer back to their home. But will he find the bag in time, or will the summer animals ruin his plans to bring warmth to the northern lands?

Educator Information
Grades 4 and under.

Let’s go fishing!

This wordless picture book follows a child and his father as they go fishing, catch fish, and make pitsi.

Educator & Series Information
This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills.

This is a Sequence Book. These wordless picture books help young children develop early book-handling behaviours and use vocabulary as they interact with the book. Developing sequencing skills can also help children recognize patterns that make the world around them more predictable.  

Recommended Ages: 3 and under

Additional Information
23 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

Authenticity Note: This book has received the Authentic Indigenous Text label as the author of this wordless story is Indigenous and the story, although containing no words, reflects Indigenous topics/themes.

What do you do on a summer’s day?

This book describes different things a child does on a summer’s day in the Arctic.

Educator & Series Information
Bilingual: English and Inuktitut

This is an Arvaaq Book. Books in this series are intended for infants and very young children and are designed to help children develop physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills. 

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.50" x 8.50"

The Cherokee community is grateful for blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

Awards

• 2019 Sibert Honor Book
• NPR's Guide to 2018's Great Reads
• Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018
• 2018 Book Launch Award (SCBWI)

Reviews
"According to storyteller Sorell, the Cherokee people always express gratitude for the little things they are given by saying the phrase, "Otsaliheliga," or "we are grateful." Raised in the Cherokee Nation, Sorell intentionally crafts a narrative that simultaneously embraces modernity and a traditional presentation of Cherokee community and way of life. Throughout, the measured text reminds readers that in all things "we say otsaliheliga." Colorful, folk art-style illustrations show Cherokee people during ceremonies, in family gatherings large and small, and outdoors enjoying each of the four seasons, always expressing gratitude. The scenes are contemporary; one shows a father taking care of his children, engaging in a positive parenting role, while another depicts a family seeing off a relative who is leaving for deployment in the military, underscoring that Cherokee people serve their country. Children participate in rites and in family outings with adults, and they also play traditional games such as stickball and plant strawberries, a practice that reminds their people to embrace peace with one another. The variety of skin tones represented in the illustrations likewise depicts a present-day reflection of the diversity that exists within the Cherokee people. Occasional Cherokee words are written in Romanized form, phonetically, in Cherokee characters, and in English—a lovely grace note. A gracious, warm, and loving celebration of community and gratitude. —Kirkus Reviews 

"An extended family engages with activities and traditions that express gratitude and carry on Cherokee history and culture, such as stomp dancing at the Great New Moon Ceremony, basket weaving, making corn-husk dolls, and playing stickball. The book underscores the importance of traditions and carrying on a Cherokee way of life while simultaneously incorporating modernity and challenging dated media images of Indigenous people. Here, a father sporting an earring and a topknot minds the children; a family bids goodbye to a clan relative who deploys with the U.S. military. Skin colors range from light to dark, visually underscoring the book’s message of diversity and inclusion. Staying firmly upbeat and idyllic, the cheerful, richly detailed gouache illustrations in bright, saturated colors cycle through the seasons, beginning with the Cherokee New Year in autumn. The text includes several Cherokee words; a line of text in a smaller font along the bottom of the page provides each word as written in the English alphabet, its phonetic pronunciation, the word as written in the Cherokee alphabet, and its definition. A glossary, an author’s note on Cherokee culture, and a complete Cherokee syllabary conclude this attractive and informative book." —Horn Book

"In Cherokee culture, Sorell shares, the expression of gratitude is part of daily life and extends from elaborate celebrations to struggles to ordinary life moments. She organizes her debut picture book by seasons, beginning with the fall, which is a time for collecting foliage for basket making and remembering those who suffered on the Trail of Tears. It also contains the Cherokee New Year and the Great New Moon Ceremony, a celebration of renewal and coming together. Each season section starts with the name of the season in Cherokee, an expression of gratitude for the change in nature, and subsequent pages describing community activities pertinent to that season. Lessac's folkloric illustration in bright gouache colors stands in pleasing contrast to the book’s contemporary feel and setting. The text reads like poetry but has a gentle instructional dimension to it. On many pages, Cherokee words are accompanied by English translations, pronunciation guides, and Cherokee syllabary. Back matter contains relevant explanations and provides good context, and the author's note sets past misrepresentations right" —Booklist

"This informative and authentic introduction to a thriving ancestral and ceremonial way of life is perfect for holiday and family sharing"—School Library Journal

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Also available in a boxed set as board books for ages 3 and under: We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga: Seasons (BB - Box Set)

Additional Information

Level 17 Illustrated by Bill Helin. Back cover book introduction: Soon there will be a big summer feast at Pine Forest. Raven is ready with lots of plans. What are some of the things that might need to be done before the summer feast? Do you predict Raven will be a good planner?

Educator & Series Information
Planning the Feast is part of the Strong Readers: Set B series. Set B is a continuation of Set A. The mixture of fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 11 through 20, expands on frog, bear, eagle, and raven, considering their full lifecycles.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 17

This resource is also available in French: Planifier le festin.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6in x 9in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781771740388

Level 10 Back cover book introduction: There are four seasons during a year, winter, spring, summer and fall. Which season do you think it is on the cover of this book? Which season is it outside right now?

Educator & Series Information
Seasons is part of the Strong Readers: Set A series. Set A includes a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction books, from levels 1 through 10, based on the appearance, behaviours, and habitats of frog, bear, eagle, and raven. The fictional stories are about frog, bear, eagle, and raven with their friends in their respective habitats.

The Strong Readers are a guided/leveled reading series chock full of science, numeracy, social responsibility, language arts and oral language teachings. Strong Readers are rich with scaffolded text features and have beautiful illustrations and photographs. The entire series is interconnected and follows the cultural values of frog, bear, eagle and raven throughout.

Guided Reading Level: 10

This resource is also available in French: Les saisons.

Additional Information
Book Dimensions: 6.5in x 5.5in | Pages: 16 | ISBN: 9781927571309

The ink and watercolour illustrations in this book reflect the life cycle of a salmon from the salmon’s point of view looking up from underwater.  Silhouette images provide a clue to the seasons and to the predators the salmon encounters throughout its life.  The story reminds us how the salmon demonstrates great determination and strength in its long journey from the stream where life begins, to the ocean, and back to its natal stream.  
 
Carol ends the story with a step-by-step instructional guide to create your own ink and watercolour image.

Educator Information
This is the 10th anniversary edition from CSWA Science in Society award-winning author/illustrator Carol McDougall, B. Ed., M.A. Carol is an international educator and conservationist with decades of classroom and fine arts teaching experience. She conducts workshops on using the arts to help make learning creative and engaging.

Recommended Grades: K-5.

Additional Information
32 pages | 11" x 8.5" | ISBN: 9781771744461 | Hardcover

This gentle story demonstrates the First Nations' tradition of taking care of Mother Earth.

Tess has visited her grandmother many times without really being aware of the garden. But today when they step out the door, Tess learns that all of nature can be a garden. And if you take care of the plants that are growing, if you learn about them - understanding when they flower, when they give fruit, and when to leave them alone - you will always find something to nourish you. 

At the end of the day, Tess is grateful to Mother Earth for having such a lovely garden, and she is thankful for having such a wise grandma.

Elaine McLeod's poetic text and Colleen Wood's gentle watercolors combine to make Lessons from Mother Earth a celebration of nature and life.

Educator Information
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Science and Nature.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.80" x 8.80"

To many Native Americans, the 13 cycles of the moon represent the changing seasons and the passage of time. Each moon has its own special name that, while varying among the tribal nations, is consistent with the legend that the 13 scales on Old Turtle's back hold the key to these moons. The authors present 13 poems that take readers through the year, from the "Moon of Popping Trees"--when the "cottonwoods crack with frost"--to the "Big Moon" of the Abenakis. The book's effective design consists of verses in vertical columns at the left of each spread, with the remainder occupied by Locker's ( Family Farm ; Catskill Eagle ) typically lush artwork. His oil paintings are eye-catching in their depth of color reflecting dramatic seasonal changes. Trees, skies and woodland creatures are rendered in vivid hues that combine to produce an enthralling vision. This unusual and intelligent book is an exemplary introduction to Native American culture with its emphasis on the importance of nature.

Additional Infromation
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.25"